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Friday, June 20, 2008

Catching Up

I vowed to start a blog this year, and now that we are almost at the halfway mark, I finally am. But the late start has left me with some catching up to do.

I am naming my blog "Year Without Fear." Here's the story:In January '07, my better half had what I thought was a stroke or a heart attack at a friend's birthday party. Ends up it was only a fainting spell, but, despite a thousand medical tests telling us nothing was wrong, I held on to the fear of loss through the rest of the year. Not a good feeling to hold onto, I realized, as I spent The Eve of 2008 with friends in Hawaii reflecting on the previous year.

So on January 1st I declared 2008 would be my "year without fear." I decided to do what any rational, sane guy would do who felt the need to conquer his fear: I jumped off a cliff. I had seen a someone do it the day before and had commented that the guy was crazy. A fearless woman on the beach assured me that it was perfectly safe - "as long as you jump out far enough to clear the rocks at the bottom."Gulp!

As I looked over the 50 foot cliff (or maybe it was forty feet and I was standing on top of 5 feet of fear and 5 feet of ego), I had a conversation with The Partner that went like this:Me - "Is this foolish? Am I crazy? Am I going to going to end up on America's Stupidest Testosterone-Driven Videos?"The Partner - "No. Yes. Maybe."

But I did it anyway and here's the proof:

I have to say that the drop was long enough for me to think "What the hell have I done?" And I came up happy to be alive, exhilarated, with NO wish to do it again. I also landed slightly on my bum and couldn't sit comfortably for 2 or 3 days.

8 comments:

Hi Jim! Welcome to blogging. That video is great. I don't think I've ever jumped off anything that high without a bungee cable attached to me (and that was just once) but it looks like fun. Hope the rest of the year without fear is going well too :-)

I'm trying to remember where I saw your book most recently -- I think it was on 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast? Congrats!

Jim, how do I know the crazy dot in jumping off the cliff is you? And now Photoshop can do lot of tricks…hmmm. Ok, I believe you because I have seen you, and you are going fierce this year! By the way, love your profile picture with the Mexican siblinghood traveling hat.

This reminds me (okay, in a to-the-nth-degree way) of the time when I, as a child, decided to dive (not jump) off the high dive at the pool. I walked past where my mom was sitting, made her PROMISE to stop reading until she saw what I was about to do), then climbed up, bent over, and did it.

Unfortunately, I dove the way I dive off the edge of the pool--hands over my head to start, but then the hands come apart and split the water (or, in this case, the air) as I go through.

Which meant I hit the water, from ten feet up, head first. With a quite snug bathing cap on (with a pixie cut, I had to wear one, but long-haired boys didn't--okay, different story!).

Anyway, yes, I felt fantastic and proud and certain that one time was plenty.

Congrats on the blogging and the cliff-diving! In my 20s, I too jumped off a 60-ft cliff...but I didn't clear it!!! I stopped at the edge and the only thing that saved me was the absolute sheerness of the rocks (and that I too young and stupid to know I should have died)!!! There was a whole involved hospital visit, but I survived with only a few stitches on my head and now I look at it as a metaphor for my life....stopping on the edge of anything will kill you...oh, and you need a very thick skull!!!! :D

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you at the SCBWI conference and I wish you continued success (I have to add that your illustrations are gorgeous).

Keep jumping out all the way...at least off the literary cliff! :)Christy